Wedding Costs and Packages: What to Consider
DIY or All Inclusive
When you start comparing wedding venues, it can be difficult to understand the true cost of each option—and which one offers the best value for money.
With a DIY venue, you generally hire the space and arrange everything else yourself. At first glance, this can appear to be the cheaper and more flexible choice. However, once you add up everything you need to hire, buy and organise, an all-inclusive venue may offer much better overall value.
Take chairs as a simple example. At a DIY venue, you may need to hire them, arrange delivery, set them up and have them collected afterwards. These costs can soon exceed the price of using a venue where the chairs are already on site and included in your package.
Chairs are only one small example. The same principle applies to many other elements of a wedding, and the cost of hiring individual items and services can quickly mount up. Many of our couples tell us that The Green offers excellent value for money because so much is already included.
A DIY venue may also seem attractive because it allows you to provide your own alcohol. However, it can be difficult to predict what your guests will want to drink—and how much you will need.
The weather can significantly influence people’s choices. On a very hot day, for example, guests may choose completely different drinks from those they would order on a cooler day. At The Green, our fully stocked, full-service bar allows us to adapt and serve the drinks your guests actually want.
If you are providing the drinks yourself, this flexibility is much harder to achieve. You will usually need to buy everything in advance, which means you could run out of popular choices while being left with large quantities of drinks that nobody wanted.
At The Green, we provide the essentials so that you can spend less time sourcing, arranging and coordinating—and more time focusing on the enjoyable details that make your wedding feel personal to you.
Compromises will probably come later, but for now, give yourselves the freedom to dream. If you had a fairy godmother to create your perfect wedding, what would you ask for?
The wedding services that are easy to overlook
When comparing wedding venues, it is important to look beyond the more obvious items included in the price. The practical support needed before, during and after your wedding can be easy to overlook, but it can make an enormous difference to your experience.
As you plan your wedding, you may need professional advice, guidance and reassurance. On the day itself, someone needs to keep everything running to time, liaise with your suppliers, answer questions and quietly resolve any unexpected hitches. Even after the celebrations are over, the venue still needs to be cleared and everything put away.
At a DIY venue, you will usually need to organise these services yourself. You may rely on members of your wedding party, hire professionals or take responsibility for some of the work yourselves. This can add both cost and pressure. It may also mean that the people closest to you spend less time enjoying the day.
At The Green, planning support, coordination of your wedding day and our clear-down service on departure day are all included in the price. Our experienced team takes care of everything behind the scenes, helping your wedding run smoothly and allowing you, your family and your friends to enjoy every moment.
Some things are difficult to put a price on. Having an experienced team beside you throughout the planning process and knowing that everything will be taken care of on the day may just be priceless.
Find our guide to Choosing Your Venue here
Things to include in your wedding budget
When setting your overall wedding budget, remember to allow for:
- Venue hire*
- Wedding Day Food and drink*
- Evening Food*
- Bar and waiting staff*
- Night before Meal*
- Entertainment*
- Accommodation*
- Wedding planning*
- Food tasting*
- Tables, chairs and linen*
- On-the-day coordination*
- Breakfasts*
- Decor*
- Microphone and PA*
- Celebrant
- Transport
- Photography and videography
- Wedding outfits
- Rings
- Hair and makeup
- Wedding cake
- Cake cutting*
- Gifts and favours
*Included at The Green
The more your venue includes, the easier it will be to understand and manage your overall costs.
When comparing venues, think carefully about the type of wedding you want and check exactly what is included in each package. A lower initial price does not always mean a lower overall cost. Arranging multiple elements yourself can add expense, complexity and pressure, particularly once planning, delivery, setup, coordination and clear-down costs are taken into account.
Find out What’s Included at The Green here
Wedding insurance
What are the three most important things to consider when planning your wedding? Insurance, insurance, insurance.
No one wants to imagine anything going wrong, but unexpected circumstances can arise. If something unforeseen affected you or another key member of your wedding party, having suitable insurance in place could protect you from significant financial loss.
Wedding insurance is generally relatively inexpensive, but it could save you thousands of pounds. At The Green, we strongly encourage every couple to arrange appropriate cover as soon as they book their wedding.
Always read the policy carefully to understand exactly what is and is not covered, and make sure the level of cover is suitable for your particular wedding and circumstances.
If either of you serves in the Armed Forces, consider specialist military wedding insurance. Some policies provide cover if previously approved leave is withdrawn or an unexpected deployment means your wedding must be postponed. Cover varies considerably, so check the wording carefully, particularly whether it covers leave being cancelled rather than simply not granted.
How to save money on your wedding
Invite fewer day guests
Reducing your number of day guests is one of the most effective ways to lower your wedding costs. You could invite your closest family and friends to the ceremony and wedding breakfast, then welcome additional guests for the evening celebration.
Before finalising your guest list, consider whether you genuinely want to spend time with each person on your wedding day rather than inviting people simply because you feel you should.
At The Green, there is no charge for evening guests, and they will still be provided with something to eat. This means you can celebrate with a larger group without significantly increasing your overall costs.
Consider a midweek wedding
Midweek weddings often cost less than weekend weddings and we’ve noticed have become increasingly popular over the last ten years. They can be particularly suitable for smaller weddings or celebrations where many guests will be staying at the venue.
Give your guests plenty of notice so that they have time to arrange annual leave if necessary.
Look beyond the traditional wedding season
Autumn and winter weddings can offer excellent value while creating a wonderfully warm and atmospheric celebration.
Remember that choosing a summer date does not guarantee perfect weather. August can be very wet, while exceptionally hot days bring their own challenges. Whatever time of year you choose, look for a venue with attractive and practical indoor spaces that you would be equally happy to use.
Look out for late-availability offers
Late-availability dates can offer excellent value, particularly if you are planning a smaller wedding or are comfortable making decisions quickly. At The Green, we have arranged weddings in as little as five weeks.
If you are considering a late-availability wedding, check that th registrar or celebrant, your essential suppliers and most important guests are available before confirming the date.
Book your photographer for fewer hours
Think carefully about which photographs matter most to you. Rather than booking a photographer for the entire day, you could ask them to cover the period from your preparations or ceremony until you sit down for your wedding meal.
Discuss the available options with your photographer. A shorter package may allow you to capture the most important parts of the day without paying for coverage you do not particularly value.
Decide what matters most to you
Choose two or three elements of your wedding that are especially important to you and prioritise your budget accordingly. You may care deeply about exceptional food, beautiful photographs or live music, while being less concerned about elaborate decorations or favours.
Focusing your spending on the things you will genuinely appreciate can help you create a wedding that feels personal without paying for details simply because they are traditional or expected.
Make the most of what your venue includes
Before hiring additional items, check what is already included in your venue package. Tables, chairs, table linen, decorations, planning support, on-the-day coordination and clear-down services can represent considerable value.
A venue with a higher initial price may ultimately cost less than a seemingly cheaper option once you include all the extras you would otherwise need to hire or organise separately.
Use decorations in more than one space
Ask whether flowers and decorations can be moved and reused during the day. Ceremony flowers might later decorate your wedding breakfast, while bridesmaid bouquets can be placed in vases as table or bar decorations.
Your florist and may be able to suggest simple ways to make each arrangement work harder without compromising the overall look of your wedding and at The Green we’ll happily relocate items.
What to do if you are worried about affording your wedding
If you become concerned about affording a wedding you have already booked, speak to your venue as soon as possible. Do not put it off. Explain your situation honestly and ask whether there are ways to reduce your costs, adjust your payment schedule or change your plans.
Be as flexible as you can. You might be able to reduce your guest numbers, simplify parts of the day, choose less expensive options or agree on a different payment arrangement. You could also consider bringing your wedding forward to an earlier late-availability date. Moving to an earlier date could reduce the overall cost. Most venues would prefer to help you find a workable solution than lose your booking altogether.
Do not assume that postponing your wedding will automatically make it more affordable. Prices may increase, and you could simply face the same financial difficulty in another year, potentially with additional costs.
Your venue may also be able to direct you towards suitable finance options. Always consider the total amount repayable and make sure any borrowing is affordable.
If there is genuinely no way to make the wedding work, check your contract to understand the financial implications of cancelling. You should also contact your wedding insurer as soon as possible to find out whether your circumstances are covered and what costs you may be able to recover.
Here is a link to our finance options
Most venues have scheduled payment dates that reflect the work involved in preparing for your wedding and the financial risk they take on. Many will also allow you to pay monthly, provided the agreed instalments are paid in full by their original due dates. This is something we are happy to offer at The Green.
